Friday, August 2, 2013

Dead Like Me, Season 1, Episode 11: Bicycle Thief

Add to the list of things George hates is public
transportation which gets George to the Waffle House smelling of oranges. We
have another anecdote of someone Daisy had sex with and Mason advises George to
steal a car. Rube has a lot of patience; though not so much when Mason starts
whining. And rather than stealing a car, Rube pushes the idea of getting a
bike.

On to George’s work where she discovers bikes are very
expensive and Josh, her co-worker, keeps talking to her; though apparently he
saw a job that pays well she may be interested in – which she gets! Rejoice…
except Delores who is very very upset about George leaving; George is nice
about it but makes an excellent comment about needing a job more “living
wageish”.

She may be sorry to see George go but Delores is
determined to throw a massive going away party. George tries to stop her, but
Delores is determined – and really really angry about George leaving (since she
considers Happy Time home), repressed under all those disturbing smiles. George
looks around at their colleagues and realises how many of them have
personalised their work space and turned it into a little home and co-workers
she’s never met before are suddenly really upset that she’s going.

The party begins – and anti-social George instantly hides
from her own party and her newest super-duper friend, Stephanie, offers her
drugs. And Delores looks awfully jealous. As the party progresses, Josh says
how important George must be to get such an amazing party – but George says it’s
all Delores so Josh assumes Delores must really care about her – but George
says she cares about Happy Time; which Delores over hears and she very
pointedly gives George the silent treatment. I think I had a boss like her
once.

George tries to get back into Delores’s good books and
fails badly – and then realises Stephanie’s casual “look out for each other”
statement meant far more in Happy Time, when she finds her under the table
tearing up paper looking for… blue and having to save yellow.

After rescuing Stephanie, Delores makes a tearful speech about George leaving.

Daisy’s Reap is a tortured artist, complete with artsy
speak he doesn’t sell his art, that’s not why he paints – besides things don’t
see until after the artist dies. Yes, Daisy was quick to pay attention to that
one. One Reap later and the artist has drunk something he really shouldn’t
have. She collects a painting she likes and heads off – followed by the ghost
of the dead guy. She takes him to the Waffle House and hands him over to Rube
where the ghost objects to her painting theft. Rube tries to point out the man
is dead – but the artist insists. (So Rube doesn’t necessarily disapprove of
stealing from the dead just conning the bereaved).

Rube tries to haul Daisy over the coals for trying to
claim something with every life and how her “acquisitiveness” disrupts his
schedule (more than just theft then) and seems to have lost patience with her
and leaves her to deal with her own straggler.

And Mason’s Reap is a gay couple, he poses as someone
taking a survey and they let him in because he’s cute – and it’s time for
cocktails. Of course it is. And Mason asks completely out of line personal
questions (at least they don’t let the “which one of you is the woman?” stand).
Why do they invite him for a meal again? Thankfully it’s not nearly as awful as
it could have been (damned with faint praise), the first man dies by accident
and his partner collapses in grief and panic. The ghost tells Mason he can’t
leave his grieving partner alone.

Mason hangs around because he has to Reap both of them –
but when Henry, the survivor plans to kill himself with a knife, Clancy, the
ghost, tries to get Mason to stop him. Mason says he can’t and Henry movingly speaks
about living without Cary. Cary suggests he takes pills instead and Mason
passes it on. Cary thanks him – and encourages Mason to keep the watch he
stole. Mason is visibly moved

Mason returns to the Waffle house and hands the keys to his
house to Daisy – saying they need more space. Daisy sees his watch and asks if
he’s gay. Well, so much for visibly moving scene.

At the house tortured artist guy talks about spending 2 years to make his
painting, what that means to create something outside himself – and how Daisy
doesn’t understand. He shows her where to hang the painting and talks about her
needing more light – she doesn’t understand and he tells her she has to try
harder. He leaves, making her more confused but he says he realised he painted
it for her – and walks into the light.

George ends up spending the night at the Waffle House and
heads to her new job. And finds her working in the same room (a very sterile
room) as a man who refuses to talk to her and only communicates via email.
Actually I’ve got 2 or 3 co-workers I wish were like this. After 5 minutes of
this, she swears at him and leaves – this office doesn’t feel like home.

She returns to the Waffle House, depressed – and Rube has bought her a bike. Awww.
And he gives her her new address; though neither George nor Daisy know why Mason
has given up the house – Daisy is extra bemused by how sweet Mason was. And
George is bemused by how nice Daisy is being.

At the Lass family (everyone so happy about the dog) and
getting a doggy door for said dog. Which Joy installs – and JD promptly uses
and disappears through. Yeah this was not well thought out. They go looking for
him and Reggie assures Joy it wasn’t her fault. Joy and Clancy continues to
look and Joy mistakes his suggestion they split up to look for the dog as
asking for a divorce. Oops.

Riding her bike, George runs into JD, the escaped dog and
returns the dog to the Lass house, where tensions are already flaring again.
Clancy starts to complain about how stupid it was to fit the doggy door before
fixing the fence but Reggie stops him.

It’s another episode without a whole lot of meta or
ongoing plot – not a bad episode but with none of the main characters growing
or developing or any plot I’m always left with a sense of “why?” Though this
time I think Mason and Daisy may grow a little – which would be a relief.

The portrayal of the gay couple started highly shakily
(and, really did it have to start that way? Aiming for this meaningful poignant
portrayal but we had to begin with gay jokes? Can TV writers just not help
themselves or something?) but ended up being pretty touching and meaningful,
even if they both did end up dead. But tell me that this isn’t the full extent
of the inclusion on this show?